Based in Sydney, Australia, Foundry is a blog by Rebecca Thao. Her posts explore modern architecture through photos and quotes by influential architects, engineers, and artists.

Apr 19 Leviticus Chapter 9

Omniscient – You know everything. You know what this all means. You know why You have it written down the way You do. You know why I need to know it, read it, try to understand it. You know why You only commanded Moses. You know what Moses will command to Israel. Is it Your same commands? You know what all of the differences are. You know the future. You know what You are doing. You are all-knowing.

Omnipotent- You can do anything. You put it into Moses’ and Aaron’s heart to do all that You command, or that Moses commands. You have Moses say as he commands You put it into Israel’s heart to do everything they do. You are a consuming fire. You consume the offering in front of the people. You are an awesome, fearsome sight. You made it happen. You are all-powerful.

Omnipresent – You are everywhere. You are in the midst of Israel and You are in their hearts. You are here with me and You are in my heart. You are all-present.

Eternal – You are the cause of time. You are the morning and the evening, one day. You are today and over 3,000 years ago. You are time.

Immutable – You will not be made to change in Your person or nature. Israel, Aaron and his sons, took what Moses had commanded to the front of the tent of meeting and the whole congregation came near and stood before You. Aaron came near to the altar and slaughtered the calf of the sin offering for himself. You will never be made to change.

Self – Existent – You exist by Yourself. You make up Moses’ existence, Aaron, and his sons’ existences. You make up Israel’s existence. You make up all of Your offering existence. You choose them. You decide. You make up my existence.

Self-Sufficient – You do not need any of Your creation to bring about Your will or Your purpose. You choose to use Moses, Aaron, and his sons. You choose to use Israel and all of Your offerings because it is Your good pleasure, not Your need, that governs Your choice.

Infinite – There are no limits or bounds to Your person or dominion. You are forever and ever, throughout generations and as far as the universe.

Transcendent – You are apart from Your creation. You teach Aaron how to make Your offerings for himself and for the people. You teach me through your Word. The person who is offering the offering to You is the person who sacrifices (slaughters) it before You that the person may know it’s value to him. It is food; it must have high value. It was Aaron that slaughtered all the sacrifices. Aaron does not know it’s value. Does he even care? Is he doing it out of fear of You? The person, the entire congregation does not know the value of the offering. How come You do not correct it?

Sovereign – It is You Israel is worshipping. You are accepting them. You show them Your glory. You are in complete control and You are doing Your foreknown plan!

Holy – You are a morally excellent, perfect being. You sanctify Aaron and his sons separating them for seven days for Your person. On the eighth day, they separate all of Israel for Your purpose.

Gracious – You show Israel Your favor by consuming the burnt offering and the portions of fat on the altar.

Merciful – You show Israel Your compassion by giving them Your offerings to be accepted before You.

Righteous – You are always right. You teach Israel and me Your right ways.

Just – You punish the guilty, forgive, and reward the righteous.

Longsuffering – You are patient with Israel and with me and slow to anger.

Loving – you love Israel, You want to forgive them, and You want to show them Your glory.

Good – You give them Your offerings to present to You and the blood of Your covenant for Israel.

Wise – Your wisdom causes You to write it all down for me to study and to try to learn from it.

Truthful – You say what is true. Your word is the reality.

Faithful – You always do what You promise. You forgive those who make atonement for their sins. Your glory appeared to all the people as their God. You must be an amazing and fearsome sight.

Wrathful – You will destroy all unrighteousness.

Jealous – You will not share Israel or Aaron and his sons who are rightly and morally Yours with any other creature.

How do people bless people? Bless, blood: rite of consecration by sprinkling an altar with blood 1. To make or declare holy by a spoken formula or a sign, hallow; consecrate. 2. To ask divine favor for [the priest blessed the congregation]. 3. To favor or endow (with) 4. To make happy or prosperous; gladden [he blessed us with his leadership] 6. To praise or glorify [to bless the LORD]

In verse 22, Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people and asked You for Your favor. In verse 23, both Moses and Aaron asked for Your favor and Your glory appeared to all the people – You gave it.

Why do You have Your different offerings? Why not just one? What do the offerings cover in a person’s relationship with You? Your sin offering covers the stench of sin. Your burnt offering and guilt offering and peace offering and grain offering and wave offering and heave offering are what relationship to You and how do they relate to me?

The offerings sanctify/ separate a person for Your purpose. Does it make a person holy? Jesus is our/my sin offering. We/I am being gracious when I offer up an offering of very great value to You and You are gracious by blessing me? Is Your guilt offering to clear us from being guilty, because You are just. You are being merciful because You heard their cry in Egypt and You looked upon their distress and You remembered Your covenant with Abraham and with Jacob, for their sakes and gave Your offering for them to be accepted before You. You are being Longsuffering forgiving iniquity through your offerings and being patient toward them, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. You do not become weary or tired and Your understanding is inscrutable. The more I know about you, the more mysterious You become. Your wisdom causes You to choose righteous ends and to make the most fitting plans to achieve those ends. Your love causes You to desire your creatures highest good and to be accepted before You. In your goodness, You give to Israel Your holiness and Your acceptance and Your favor, not according to what they deserve but according to your good will and kindness toward them. You are Faithful to Abraham and Isaac, Jacob, and You are doing what You promised. You are truthful and You are speaking the truth to them. You are revealing Yourself. Please Jehovah God, do not let me be stupid or deaf or blind or obstinate or stiff-necked. Please help me to know You. Thank-You for Your WORD AND Your patience, through Jesus Christ’s name and through his ransom sacrifice. Amen.